The Odd Doctor Out | A Drama | S. 3

389 🩺 바다다~~~

The air smelled different at the sea.

Sweeter...

Saltier...

Side by side with Mingi's arm brushing his, he stared out from where grass met sand, gazing across the sandy beach, and vast ocean beyond. It was incredible... More so than he could have ever imagined.

Being a weekday, the place was deserted. A soft breeze blew their hair about, and swept the scent of the ocean up towards them, and it felt peaceful...

Looking at Mingi, he could see the content in his eyes. He loved it. It was so obvious. His eyes were sparkling as he gazed out, and suddenly, in Yunho's mind, as beautiful as the beach was, Mingi was infinitely more stunning...

'My mom used to take me here a lot when I was little,' Mingi suddenly breathed, stepping a little into his side idly.

'You mom?... I haven't really heard you talk about her much...'

He saw those cherry lips form a soft smile as he gazed out at the sea. 'She passed away a long time ago.'

Yunho's lips fell apart in shock. 'I- u- I'm so sorry...' he whispered, suddenly kicking himself for not having known... He should have responded differently...

'It's fine~' he breathed, glittering love in his eyes.

'... So that's why you love it here... Because your mom used to bring you?'

He smiled. 'Sort of. I guess it's part of the reason. But it's just quieter here... Beautiful... There's just nowhere else like this.'

Of course he was right. He was too intelligent not to be...

'Come~' Mingi suddenly said, a smile growing wide on his face. He linked their arms and led him forward, causing him to almost yelp in shock as the moment he stood on the sand, it moved under his feet.

Mingi laughed, holding out his arms as though he might fall over. 'Wow, you really haven't been to the beach before.'

Narrowing his eyes at him for a moment, he tried to regain his composure and nurse his wounded ego. But the sound of Mingi's tinkling laughter was the sound of angels, and it blessed his ears.

The lively brunette took him by the arm, leading him towards the water, and as their shoes began to fill with sand, they kicked them off, letting their bare feet sink into the sand.

And from that moment on, Yunho felt like he was in heaven.

Laughing and melting as they played, he had never lived so in-the-moment in his life...

Using their toes to sketch messages in the sand... Mingi laughing at his poor foot-writing, teasing his ineligible script before distracting him, and scratching it out with his foot...

Having to roll their jeans halfway up their calves as they played, running back away from each wave that rolled up the shore...

'Yun-ah, just stand there,' Mingi laughed, shoving him towards the water...

'But it's cold!' he cringed, turning, trying to escape.

But Mingi held him tight. 'Look! It's coming!' he squealed, laughing as Yunho made his last failed attempts at escaping the wave, and ending up with the freezing water covering his feet and ankles.

Yunho laughed, before turning his attention to him. 'Your turn, Min,' he threatened, laughing as the brunette squealed, turning and running away through the sand...